Agricultural News
Record Crowd Attends 2019 Oklahoma Pork Congress- Get African Swine Fever Update and More
Sat, 03 Aug 2019 10:22:06 CDT
The Oklahoma Pork Council hosted a record number of pork producers and industry stakeholders on Friday, August 2nd in Norman at the 2019 Oklahoma Pork Congress. Among the full schedule of events that took place during the conference, several reports were given from national pork industry leaders including Bill Even, chief executive officer of the National Pork Board and Cody McKinley, assistant vice president of state and national relations for the National Pork Producers Council.
Even shared his vision for a new strategic plan developed by the National Pork Board of Directors that he says will modernize the board's operations and increase productivity and efficiency. McKinley offered a policy update focused primarily on the status of US trade relations and pending treaties still under negotiation. In addition, Oklahoma Pork Council Executive Director Roy Lee Lindsey briefed attendees on the African Swine Fever Situation and how his team is collaborating with other states and national authorities to mitigate the risk of this disease entering the US. On the sidelines of Friday's occasion, Lindsey took a moment to speak with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn about the event and the state's pork industry. You can listen to their complete conversation by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of the page.
"This is my 21st Pork Congress with okPORK as Director and this could be the largest crowd we've ever seen, so really excited to have that turn out," Lindsey said, "which demonstrates the commitment these folks have to Oklahoma's pork industry. I think that speaks volumes for the work we've been doing. We are serving the needs of our folks and that's why they are here to show their support."
Aside from the industry briefings, members of the Oklahoma Pork Council also gathered to conduct important business on behalf of the state's pork industry. Three of the Council's board positions were up for election this year as well as three Pork Act Delegate positions. Those voted in as delegates will travel next March to Kansas City to represent Oklahoma's pork producers at the annual Pork Industry Forum, to determine the recommended rate of assessment and the amount of Checkoff funds returned to states. Lindsey remarked that the role and responsibility of a delegate is "critical to the long-term safety and security of the Pork Checkoff."
Overall, given the abundance of outside pressures from trade and tariffs to disease and the general uncertainty that exists in today's industry, Lindsey says stakeholders are steadfastly upbeat and optimistic about the pork industry and its future. He described his impressions taken from his own interactions with attendees during the Oklahoma Pork Congress.
"I think it depends on the individual- You've got some just absolutely walking around on pins and needles worried about disease, worried about other industry pressures and how that impacts their bottom lines. And then you've got a lot of folks that haven't even thought twice about trade. They're more worried about 'how do we save all of this sow's baby pigs,'" he said. "But I think most folks are fairly positive. They think the long-term outlook for protein is very good and we know that US pork - Oklahoma pork for that matter - is the most efficient protein source you can find, and we know that pork is still the protein of choice around the world. We want that opportunity to sell that product. I think that's what you would pick up from this group is - 'let us do our job and we'll sell pork to everybody.'"
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